Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. There were no apologies.

The Chair declared an interest under Standing Order 17.24A regarding item 2.6 - petition P-06-1521 - as the petitioner was an employee.

Members agreed to submit a request for a debate on the petition to the Business Committee.

Members agreed to write to Hywel Dda University Health Board to ask to be kept updated on the business case being developed, and to keep the petition open pending that update. This was in addition to Members having the opportunity to also raise the petition during debate on the separate petition P-06-1538 relating to stroke services at Bronglais.

Members noted this petition and the issues raised in it were linked to the previous two petitions, and that the health board was being scrutinised by the Health and Social Care Committee.  It was agreed to  highlight the petition with that Committee and also write to the health board with the concerns raised by the petitioner. The petition would be kept open pending the response, however it was noted that there was not much further the Committee could take the petition beyond that, as it was a matter for the Health and Social Care Committee and local Members to scrutinise and ask questions of the health board.

Members agreed that the petition has been superseded by events because at the time it started there was no England and Wales inquiry. There were restrictions on what a Wales-only inquiry would be able to cover, due to matters that were not devolved, and there was a clear expectation that Wales issues will be considered, and in particular cross-border exploitation issues, in the England and Wales inquiry. It was agreed to close the petition. In doing so the petitioner was thanked for her courage in bringing the issue forward and assured that the matter was being taken seriously.

Members thanked the petitioner for raising a very important issue that has received much cross-party attention, but agreed that the Health and Social Care Committee and the Children, Young People and Education Committee were best placed to scrutinise the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy that had been published by the Welsh Government. On that basis, the Committee decided to close the petition and to highlight it with those Committees.

The Chair repeated her earlier declaration of a relevant interest under Standing Order 17.24A as the petitioner is employed part-time in her office. Members agreed to write to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to ask what it was doing to address the situation on this site, and to also write to Ofwat to ask for its view, whether it was aware of similar situations and what its advice would normally be. The petition would be kept open pending those responses.

The petitioner was congratulated on the success of the petition following the reversal of Caerphilly Council’s decision on pitch fees. It was agreed to close the petition. In doing so, the wider issues facing grassroots sport in Wales were noted, and so it was also agreed to write to the Senedd Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee to highlight those issues, and to also highlight the wider issue raised by the petition with the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership.

The petitioner was thanked for using the petitions process to raise the issue. It was agreed to close the petition, noting that if petitioners were unsatisfied with the re-stated natural resources policy position set out by the Welsh Government they would have the opportunity to raise the issue again in the next Senedd.

It was agreed to highlight the petitioners’ comments, questions  and recommendations with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and keep the petition open pending a response.

It was noted that a study of road scheme options was due to be completed in the autumn and developing a business case after that would take some time, and also that decision-making was expected to be devolved to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee. There was a majority in favour of keeping the petition open for now to await the outcome of the study, and then ensure the petitioner was given the right pathway to address their concerns to the local authorities who would be making those decisions on their plan of investment. 

Members noted the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) as set out in the Cabinet Secretary’s response, and it was agreed to ask the petitioner what engagement he had had as a stakeholder in their development. And to ask the Minister for further details of public consultation on the King Scallop FMP. The petition to be kept open pending that response.

It was welcomed that the Burns Commission recommendations were now moving into the delivery phase with funding identified, and noted that commitments about delivering the network were likely to feature in Senedd election manifestos. Members therefore thanked the petitioner for their sustained interest and agreed to close the petition.

It was agreed that the petition had now come to the end of its journey with the Petitions Committee. Members thanked the petitioner for his active engagement in raising the issue, and closed the petition.

The petitioner was congratulated on the success of this petition, with representatives of the horticulture sector being involved in the stakeholder group for the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) following the correspondence with the Cabinet Secretary. The many references to the horticulture sector in the final SFS were noted. It was agreed to now close the petition.

It was noted that the Health and Social Care Committee was now undertaking an inquiry into GP services – due to report in the New Year. It was agreed to close the petition and signpost the petitioner to that inquiry to share any further evidence to assist that work.

It was agreed to close the petition. In doing so it was agreed to highlight the petitioner’s comments with the Equality and Social Justice Committee, as the appropriate scrutiny committee, and with the Minister for Children and Social Care, asking that the Welsh Government engage directly with the petitioner to address her further comments.

Members noted the papers.

The procedural motion was agreed.